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Niagara District School Board has agreed to sell Glen Ridge School to City of St. Catharines, making way for plans for a community park in Old Glenridge.

The school board’s committee-of-the-whole voted Tuesday night to accept a proposal from St. Catharines.

“It’s extremely positive news,” said St. Andrew’s Coun. Joe Kushner. “It’s good for the taxpayer and it’s good for the citizens of south St. Catharines.”

The deal is not yet completed.

Kim Yielding, chief communications officer for the school board, said the board is finalizing details with the city.

“Both parties are coming together and everything has been approved, it’s just a matter of going through proper procedural channels,” Yielding said.

The school at 101 South Park Dr. was declared surplus by the board in February.

City council voted in April to establish a park on one-third of the Glen Ridge School property, if it could acquire the land from the board.

The idea was that if the school board wasn’t interested in selling off the property in smaller pieces, the city would acquire the entire property. The city would then establish a 0.28-hectare park and sell off the remaining two-thirds of the land for development.

The idea came from the 101 South Drive Property Task Force of citizens created by the city in April 2016 to come up with possible uses for the school and land. The task force made seven recommendations to council in September 2016 which included that the city buy the property and use a portion for the park, which is what’s happening.

St. Andrew’s Coun. Matt Harris said the committee was a huge help and was a good example of how the community and city can work together.

“It’s a great template and a road map of how to do these things in the future,” Harris said.

He said the next step is to ensure a development on the remaining property be compatible with the Glenridge neighbourhood.

The school building itself is designated a heritage building and will have to be incorporated into any design by a developer.

Harris said it was a long process but thinks the neighbourhood will be happy with the result.

Concerned Glenridge residents jammed council chambers at the April meeting and spilled out into the hall and board room. They applauded when council directed city staff to approach the school board about land acquisition.